Safety razor



J. MUROS SAFETY RAZOR Oct. 20, 1942.

Filed June 8, 1942 Patented Oct. 20, 1942 Joseph Muros, Cambridge, Mass, assignor to Gillette Safety Razor -.'Company, Boston, Mass, a corporation of Delaware Application June 8, 1942, Serial No. 446,165

Claims. (01. 30-84) This invention relates to safety razors and consists in a blade-clamping member or cap of novel construction. Safety razor caps and guards have heretofore been generally manufactured in integral form by a series of die-shaping operations from brass, aluminum or other relatively soft metals or alloys. Safety razor caps usually include a blade-locating rib or studs and a threaded stud adapted to be engaged by a correspondingly threaded handle in clamping the blade between the cap and guard members of the razor. The formation of the cap as an integral member necessitates several special machine operations in which the cap must be securely and accurately held with respect to operating tools. For example, in a cap having an integral threaded stud the operations of facing the stud for length and threading it require the most accurate locating of the whole cap with relation to the facing and threading tools. The cap, moreover, having concave and convex surfaces is difficult to hold securely for machining except with the assistance of jigs and fixtures.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cap of such construction that it may be formed from a single blank or blanks of sheet steel or other metal assembled with a separately produced threaded stud. It is a further object of the invention to produce in this manner a rigid cap having the advantages in respect to accuracy of dimensions heretofore realized in integral caps only by the use of what is required.

With these objects in view an important feature of my invention consists in a blade-clamping member including in its structure a rectangular body of sheet metal having spaced longitudinal shoulders defining a trough or channel therein and sheet metal filler pieces inserted in opposite ends of the trough giving double thickness to the body of the member throughout their area and each having an upstanding blade-locating projection at its inner end, together with a threaded stud extending outwardly from the body of the blade between the said projections. Preferably and as herein shown the filler pieces are formed with the body of the cap as part of a single sheet metal blank and are inserted in the channel trough by being folded inwardly, but, if preferred, they may be formed in separate sheet metal blanks, inserted in the trough of the cap as loose pieces and then fastened in place.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the sheet metal blank used in the construction of the illustrated cap;

Fig. 2 isa similar view of the same blank at the conclusion of the first swaging or shaping operation;

Fig. 3 is an end view corresponding to Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 showsthe blank of Fig. 2 as modified by the next succeeding step of the process;

Fig. 5 is a similar View showing the blank with the extensions bent at right angles to its body portion;

Fig. 6 is a corresponding end view;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the finished cap;

Fig. 8 is a corresponding end view;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the cap with a blade in position thereon;

Fig. 10 is a view of the cap in central longitudinal section, corresponding to Fig. 7; and

Fig. 11 is a view in perspective of the finished cap on'an enlarged scale.

In manufacturing the cap herein illustrated a blank of soft sheet steel is first provided by cutting or dieing from fiat stock in the shape shown in Fig. 1, that is to say, the blank has a rectangular body portion I'll from each end of which projects an extension I! of substantially less width than the said body portion. At its outer end. each extension is shouldered so as to present a short wide tongue l2. The body portion ill, the extensions II and the tongue ['2 are all symmetrically arranged with reference to'a common major axis. Preferably, but not necessarily, sheet steel approximately .040" in thickness and of a composition permitting the blank to be doubled without cracking is selectedfor the material of the blank.

The first step in converting the fiat blank to the finished cap, as suggested in Fig. 2, consists in forming or swaging the blank between suitable dies, imparting to it a transverse curvature and forming a pair of spaced longitudinal shoulders l3 which extend from one end to the other of the body portion I0 and define a shallow trough or channel therein. In this operation the entire blank is slightly narrowed as seen in plan view by the transverse curvature which is imparted to it. The next step of the process, as suggested in Fig. 4, consists in punching a circular hole M at the center of the body portion I0 and in bending both the tongues l2 downwardl at right angles to th extensions I I.

In the next step of the process the extensions II are bent upwardly at right angles to the body portion, as suggested in Figs. 5 and 6. In this condition of the blank the extensions H are I the cap but this is not necessarily so.

disposed vertically and the ears l2 are outwardly directed. Finally the extensions II are bent inwardly and downwardly, 180 from their original position, and are transversely concaved so that they make intimate face-to-face contact with the concave body H] of the cap and fit snugly between the shoulders I3. In this position of the extensions the end flanges l2 project upwardly in spaced relation at equal distances from the central hole I4 and form blade-locating flanges in the cap. A threaded stud I5 is now inserted in the hole l4 and headed upon the outside of the cap as best shown in Fig. 10.

The filler pieces II which are formed by the folded extensions may be secured permanently in their final positions by welding or sweating,

or may be permanently secured merely by dieshaping and bending. The cap is finally completed by all-over plating. It is shown in Fig. 9 in operative relation with respect to a blade I6 of well-known commercial construction having a central elongated slot I! with transverse branches which fit the blade-locating flanges I2 of the cap. The cap, as will be understood, is intended for use in a safety razor with a bladesupporting or guard member which has a generally convex blade-supporting face, and with a threaded handle cooperating with the stud l5 of the cap in drawing the two blade-clamping members into clamping relation wherein the blade is held for shaving securely supported on both sides and in transversely flexed condition.

The blade-positioning flanges l2 herein shown are similar in shape and symmetrically located in They may be, if desired, unsymmetrically arranged and may be of different shapes to fit corresponding perforations in blades of different designs from that herein shown.

It will be noted that the longitudinal shoulders l3 substantially stiffen the body of the cap by imparting to it an angle iron effect. At the same time they form a channel for the reception of the inserted pieces I l which fit snugly therein and double the thickness of the cap throughout their area. The stud I2 is shown as shouldered andriveted in place but this may be secured by welding or other means if preferred.

In addition to the structural advantages above discussed it will be noted that the present invention improves the general appearance of thecap and the safety razor in which it is used as compared to those heretofore available. The exterior view of the cap presents a wide central panel defined b'y-graceful shoulders of pleasing proportions with the general effect of artistic surface ornamentation.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described an illustrative embodiment thereof I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A safety razor cap including in its structure a rectangular body of sheet metal having spaced longitudinal shoulders defining a trough therein, longitudinal extensions from both ends of the said body folded inwardly into the said trough and each having an upstanding transverse bladelocating flange at its inner end, the said flanges being spaced apart from each other, and an upstanding threaded stud rigidly set in the body of the cap midway between the said blade-locating flanges and projecting outwardly between them.

2. A safety razor cap including in its structure a rectangular body of sheet metal having spaced longitudinal shoulders defining a trough therein, sheet metal filler pieces inserted in opposite ends of said trough, giving a double thickness to the body of the cap and each having an upstanding blade-locating projection at its inner end, and a threaded stud extending outwardly from the body of the cap between the said projections.

3. A safety razor cap including in its structure a rectangular body of sheet metal, sheet metal pieces folded inwardly from both ends thereof, giving double thickness to the body of the cap throughout their area and terminating in spaced blade-locating flanges, and a threaded stud projecting from the body of the cap between said flanges.

4. In a safety razor, a blade-clamping member including in its structure a rectangular body of sheet metal transversely curved and having a narrow extension at each end folded inwardly into contact with the surface of said body and curved concentrically therewith, the said folded extensions terminating at their inner ends in spaced relation and having upstanding blade-locating projections thereon, and a stud projecting from the body of the cap between said projections.

5. In a safety razor, a blade-clamping member including in its structure a rectangular body of sheet metal having spaced longitudinal shoulders defining a shallow channel extending from end to end thereof, filler pieces of sheet metal fitted in said channel between said shoulders and giving double thickness to the body of the cap, blade-locating projections on said filler pieces, and means independent of the said filler pieces for imparting clamping pressure to the bladeclamping member as a whole.

JOSEPH MUROS. 

